（新春走基层）电力“新兵”的元宵节：从“社会小白”到“电力守护者”******
中新网晋中2月3日电 题：电力“新兵”的元宵节：从“社会小白”到“电力守护者”
作者 高雨晴 张博然 冀一鸣
“小元，元宵节快到了，这时候千万不能松懈，咱们再进行一次特巡工作。”“好的，师父，马上就来。”临近元宵节，值长王时光带着刚入职的新员工元淑媛走进设备区，开展特巡工作。
从刚参加工作的大学生，到一名电力守护者，面对新环境、新群体、新挑战，元淑媛即将在国网山西超高压变电公司1000千伏特高压洪善站度过一个不一样的元宵节。自大年三十起，他们就一直坚守在工作岗位，至今已连续工作半个月。
1000千伏特高压洪善变电站位于山西省晋中市平遥县洪善镇北长寿村，于2017年8月14日正式投入运行。该站作为1000千伏榆横-晋中-潍坊特高压交流输变电工程的中间变电站，是华北特高压交直流主网架的重要组成部分，构成了“晋电外送”的重要通道之一。
往年元宵节，元淑媛都是和父母、朋友一起度过，“入职后第一年的元宵节就在站里度过，心里感到很期待”。
“工作十几年，在站里过节对我们来说已经习以为常了。”王时光指着眼前的设备说：“小元，你看看眼前的这些设备，想象我们同医生一样，在保电的关键阶段，对站内设备进行最后一次全面体检，好比家里的大扫除，做好保供专项巡查工作，是为了千家万户能够过上一个明亮温暖的幸福年。”
站长王亚文一如往常坚守岗位，在特巡班前会上，他介绍，目前正处于迎峰度冬和两节保电关键期，面对近期出现的雨雪天气，“我们已提前做好突发事件应急处置预案，开展相应的防寒、防冻、防风应急演练，保障电力主网在极寒天气下的安全稳定运行。”
于是，元淑媛和师父王时光拿着铁锹、铲雪车和扫帚走进站区，对前不久的大雪现场设备覆雪覆冰情况、GIS母线伸缩节以及室外箱柜加热驱潮等装置进行检查，并对500千伏一期、二期断路器水平布置盆式绝缘子法兰对接面的积雪进行清理。
手指头、脚趾头快被冻僵，呼出的热气形成小水珠挂在睫毛上，元淑媛心里感到十分困惑：“师父，等太阳出来雪慢慢化了就好了，为什么还要扫雪呢？”
“雪化了有可能顺着螺纹的缝隙破坏法兰的密封，造成漏气，严重了有可能对设备造成更大的伤害，还得停电处理，所以，能让大家在特殊时期放心用电，得靠我们每一个变电人认真负责去实现。”王时光语重心长地说。
为了保障节日期间可靠供电，洪善站启动防寒防冻特巡预案，加强站内设备的特殊巡视和红外测温的力度。同时组织运维人员对站内1000千伏主变、高抗进行“拉网式”隐患排查，对断路器加热器、保护小室、蓄电池室、消防泵房加热装置进行检查，密切关注气象变化，做好各项应急准备工作。
元宵佳节，元淑媛和站内值守的工作人员依旧会坚守岗位，紧盯监控大屏的报文信息，依次检查每台主变、高抗的油色谱在线的数据是否正确，照旧干着重复性的工作。
“作为一名青年员工，能在自己的岗位上发光发热，为守护万家灯火贡献属于自己的力量，让我倍感自豪。”元淑媛说。(完)
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
